In this paper we examine the role the Dutch gymnasium continues to play in the institutional maintenance of educational inequality. To that end we examine the relational and spatial features of state-sponsored elite education in the Dutch system: the unique identity the gymnasium seeks to cultivate; its value to its consumers; its geographic significance; and its market position amidst a growing array of other selective forms of schooling. We argue that there is a strong correlation between a higher social (...) class background and the concern to transmit one’s cultural habitus. We further speculate on the moral implications of state-sponsored elite education, both as it concerns the specific role of the gymnasium in the reproduction of social inequality as well as the curious tendency among its supporters to rationalise the necessity of its existence. (shrink)

Whatever the merits idealized liberal accounts of citizenship education may have in the seminar room, in this essay I argue that they are both unpersuasive and ineffectual. This is the case, because they are insufficiently attentive to the empirical realities, first (a) with respect to how real – versus imaginary – school systems function; and second, (b) with respect to the broader political context in which citizenship education policies are implemented. Because so much is already known about the former, I (...) devote more attention in this essay to the latter. (shrink)

Al decennia verdedigen liberale theoretici de stelling dat burgerschap de taak is van de school. Hoewel er onder hen substantiële meningsverschillen bestaan, delen ze allemaal hetzelfde geloof in zowel de plicht als capaciteiten van scholen om te doen wat hun theorieën voorschrijven. Wij hebben alle begrip voor de gedachten achter deze theorieën; ze brengen namelijk idealen tot uitdrukking die wij na zouden moeten streven. Ze beschrijven niet de scholen die wij hebben, maar die we nodig hebben. Maar welke verdiensten deze (...) geïdealiseerde liberale visies op burgerschapseducatie ook mogen hebben in een vergaderzaal, ze zijn niet overtuigend en bruikbaar. Simpelweg omdat ze onvoldoende rekening houden met de empirische realiteit van de bredere politieke context waarbinnen beleid op het gebied van burgerschapseducatie wordt ontwikkeld en geïmplementeerd. (shrink)

The small school movement originated in the democratic ideology of Deborah Meier, who sought to create schools that gave students, parents, teachers, and all stakeholders in the communities they served a voice in education. In New York City, Meier's vision was implemented haphazardly by a group of business and political elites able to pour millions of dollars into an initiative without carefully considering the complex interests involved in creating new small schools. According to this author, this lack of (...) forethought placed students and parents at an even greater disadvantage than had existed previously. It was thought that the creation of small schools of choice would provide students, parents, and families the most appropriate education for their children, and that free market practices would create an environment of increased accountability and transparency, which would improve educational outcomes for all students. The author argues that these measures failed to improve educational equity and opportunities for students, and that they also placed students most in-need at an even greater disadvantage, thus hurting the very children these laws were created to help. She supports this argument using a critique of neoliberalism in the context of education as defined by Michael Apple, John Rawls's original position, and the application of Rawls's position in an educational context by Barry Bull. (shrink)

In the last third of the 20th century, the Bielefeld School of social history, headed by Hans- Ulrich Wehler and Jürgen Kocka, rose to prominence. It had contrasting concerns: the focus on structures and processes of development sidelined intentional action and coexisted with a political rewriting of the past that indicted the interests and decisions of dominant elites in Germany from 1870 to 1933. History was viewed, oddly enough, as retrospective politics. This article analyses the main aporiae implied by both (...) the School’s programme and its scholarly output. How did a structuralist historiography contrive backward-looking political denunciations? Is our time entitled to judge and accuse the past? Notwithstanding the weight of structures and processes, were there real alternatives for the historical agents? Did systemic causality grant elbowroom to intentional action? What chances were then missed and why? Overall, the surmise that there were always choices clashes with received narratives of inevitability. (shrink)

This paper continues a reconstruction of the analytic turn in American philosophy between 1940 and 1970. The first part of this paper argued that philosophers at Princeton, Yale, and Columbia sought to stimulate ‘humanistic’ approaches to philosophy in their hiring policies and tenure decisions, thereby marginalizing the ‘scientific’ philosophies that were in vogue among their students. This second part unearths some of the mechanisms that contributed to the analytic turn once the movement’s fiercest opponents retired. I argue that a new (...) generation of deans and chairmen initially tried to craft ‘balanced’ departments but that various external variables— competition between elite universities, a shortage of graduates with training in modern logic, and the explosive growth of American higher education—eventually led to major policy shifts. Within a decade, I show, the distorted job market helped tip the balance into the other direction, strongly advantaging departments that had invested in analytic philosophy. By the late 1960s, the movement became so successful that the traditional division between humanistic and scientific approaches began to be replaced by a distinction between analytic and ‘continental’ philosophy, referring to the schools of philosophy that were popular across the Atlantic. American philosophy, by then, just was analytic philosophy. (shrink)

...If, in some places, backward science determines the remaining period by the lack of optimism only by the number 123456789, then our progressive science expands it to 987654321, which is eight times more advanced than theirs. However, due to the inherent caution of scientists, both sides do not specify the measuring unit of reference — year, day, hour or minute are meant. Leonid Leonov. Collected Op. in ten volumes. Volume ten. M.: IHL, 1984, p.583. -/- The modern men being as (...) a rule is proceeding in three relatively autonomous, but immanently coexisting, and each penetrating dialectically through other, and each contesting even cruelly with other, and each more or less dominating on other, differently in various societies, worlds: the first one of the barbarity, the second one the culture, the third one the civilization... Barbarity is the mode of coexistence of autonomous human societies based on the unlimited will to act so as subject wants to do without any limitations of his activities... Culture is the mode of coexistence of autonomous human societies based on the most ancient testaments, customs, traditions etc of the highestly sacrified appearence... Civilisation is the mode of coexistence of autonomous human societies based on the reasoned or legitimated by social contracts, by profits, by expediency and so more constitutions, institutions etc... -/- Andrei Melnikov-Pechersky in his epic "In the Woods" says that there was a movement among the Old Believers in Russia, or a current that proclaimed Kostroma the new and, it seems, the only true Jerusalem, in an apocalyptic sense, of course, which in its spiritual scale was probably not inferior to the Bogomils, shakers, Mormons, or else and the whole Reformation in potential. In Western Europe, every more or less convex nuance of the history of a state or region (even if it is a small San Marino) is overgrown with almost a dozen institutions, not always state ones, by the way, in which almost every sneeze and step of very ambivalent historical subjects in a broad sense is studied. Especially in the young, but very pretentious America of the United States, which embodies all world justice. In our country, for example, even many leading humanitarian specialists do not realize the spiritual value of the Ipatievsky MONASTERY. The Russian writer Boris Shiryaev, who died quite a long time ago and in a very far abroad, devoted a special part of his documentary and artistic epic of wanderings "The Inextinguishable Lampada" to an entertaining and instructive, tragic fate of a kind of village monarchy in some Villages of the Kostroma province (I could not identify the area, and, frankly, I did not really try) in the early years The Soviet government. At the same time, all Russians learn about the French emperor Napoleon almost with their mother's milk how many percent of cyanide potassium was found in his hair, they reflect on Lermontov's "Airship" (probably, just not to "memorize" the imposed "Borodino" by heart). The events, of course, are incomparable, but the fact is significant. The outstanding national artist (if not to say a thinker of the Chesnyakov level) Grigory Pavlovich Kusochkin was glorified wherever, in whatever catalogues he was not included. Paris, London, New York, St. Petersburg, Moscow... To look at some smear of luminaries like Picasso or Modigliani, international tourist routes are organized in the restaurant toilet using the finest marketing technologies, and we did not even know Grigory Pavlovich by sight until, thank God, a series of TV shows on all Russian channels was dedicated to him in one gulp. Why is this happening? Is it a consequence of poverty or the result of the conscious policy of the ruling elite of the country and the world? The regions of the Kostroma Region are Austria, Switzerland, Bavaria, Armenia, Moldova, and Georgia... Georgia! I served in the army there. In this small but very great country, judging even by the appearance of its President Shevardnadze, although it is smaller than the Kostroma region, there are so many different, but Georgian-speaking peoples! Kakhetians, Meskhetians, Imereti, Iveretians, Mingrelians, Khevsurs... Adjarians (mostly Georgian-speaking Muslims) even have their own autonomy. And some peoples are not Georgian—speaking at all — South Ossetians, Abkhazians, Kurds, Armenians, Greeks, even Assyrians. In the Kostroma Region, and in any Russian "province" — not much less: there are plenty of the same Georgians or Armenians everywhere, quite moderate, loyal, and so on. Having, as a rule, their own officially registered associations within the framework of cultural autonomy. Well done! And Israel! He is the only one with all his "illegal" (and I am for the fact that every nation knows better where its ancestral lands are) territories half the size of the Kostroma region. The total number of Jews worldwide, according to the "Soviet Encyclopedic Dictionary" in 1987, is about 14 million. Meanwhile, the fate of Israel is being preoccupied (it is very instructive how he achieved this!) all the united nations of the world. In the Kostroma Region and its diaspora, it seems to everyone, and especially to its semi-migrant, Varangian leadership. I don't care if they build a public atomic bomb here in the form of a nuclear power plant or not. Because they do not know the value of this land, the greatness of its spirit. Kostroma is a holy land. I will immediately make a reservation that by Kostroma I mean not only the modern region, but the entire area that has ever historically been associated with Kostroma. The USSR is also a part of the great historical Russia. In this sense, even the entire era of the Russian Romanov Empire is the Kostroma region. Or: many toponymic objects of our native land are called mysteriously beautiful: Sharya, Shunga, Shekshema, Sholezhka, - we need to find out what kind of peoples — and where are they now? — we left such euphonious archetypal combinations, because these are our Kostromsky peoples, these are our Kostroma people. Or, say, the classic of American and world sociology Pitirim Alexandrovich Sorokin writes in his autobiographical scientific novel "The Long Way" that he studied at the Khrenovskaya (what a strong word!) teachers' seminary of Kostroma province, but in an administrative row for propaganda activities, gendarmes were taken by sledge to the prison of the city of Kineshma - is this not a fact for Kostroma, and primarily for him, local history, although Kineshma has long been attributed to the Ivanovo region, and Pitirim Alexandrovich is buried on the other side of the planet?! I have not the slightest doubt that Kostroma provided spiritual food, gave birth to and nurtured a huge intellectual diaspora with extremely valuable material on a national, global scale. And this is both in direct and indirect order, in the form of a chain reaction. Apparently, it is easy for an intelligent person to grow up in Kostroma, but it is impossible to live, and somewhere on the contrary. Therefore, it is not surprising that the geneticist academician D. K. Belyaev, who was born in the village of Protasov near Nerekhta, very close to Kostroma, glorified Moscow and Siberia with his discoveries and practical results, which immeasurably enriched the Soviet state treasury with foreign exchange income from the sale of the most valuable fur grown according to the biotechnology developed by him in a much shorter time than it usually turns out in nature. And in Kostroma, most likely, few people know who he is and what he is famous for. I will focus in more detail on one of the aspects of his great life. This happened back in the so-called pre-Perestroika times. In a series of his speeches, Dmitry Konstantinovich, based on the results of his and colleagues' research, emphasized, in his opinion, the determining role of the biological factor in shaping the content of human essence, of course, only in a philosophical, conceptual aspect. For some reason, this was opposed by a geneticist, as they say, persecuted at one time by the "senile" in selectionism (including human nature) by the Michurino-Lysenkoists, academician N. P. Dubinin, which personally remains incomprehensible to me until now. With a grateful curtsey to Academician Dubinin and his point of view, the famous French humanist, member of the Politburo of the French Communist Party Lucien Sav appeared on the pages of the Communist magazine. The material was clearly titled: "Problems are not only scientific, but also political." He very indecently attributed the views of academician Belyaev to "a reactionary ideology that tries to put genetics at its service, and more broadly, biology, in order to present all kinds of social inequalities of all kinds as inherent in nature itself"(1). I would like to see any ideology that does not try to "put this or that at its service," much less something worthwhile... A little later, the editorial of the Communist hit the "biologizers", and soon Dmitry Konstantinovich was gone. In short, it is only on the example of our fellow countrymen that you can write interesting, world-class essays on science and its history, but instead our scientists should fit their global potencies into a page and a half (good yet. if not entirely at their own expense), and then for at least three years to guess whether they will be published or not. Now it no longer surprises me how at one time, when, after reading the listener card I filled out, the sweetest girl from the IPKPON office at USU congratulated me for something. It turned out that the dean of the Faculty of Philosophy of USU, doctor, professor, Honored Scientist, and now academician Konstantin Niko-laevich Lyubutin is a countryman, Kostromsky, or rather Manturovsky by origin, as I write below in the notes — we are Kostromendors. To him, my fellow citizen in the most subtle micropatriotic dimensions, I owe a lot in my professional and social development, even in survival. Because that's how it often turns out: you can be born here, sometimes you can live here... It's very hard. Maybe the Kostroma origin of an outstanding Russian historian of philosophy, organizer of science and education, educator and friend of a galaxy of people devoted to the Motherland and the cause is not a great milestone in the history of the region, but name me at least a dozen Russian cities on the scale of Kostroma, from where such intellectual ones would come out into the world and light luminaries like ours. No matter who you take from the world significance of the pillars of national (and world, and foreign, - even the great Rabbi of Lubavitcher spent three years in exile in a Campfire, — I learned from some foreign voices) history, literature, culture in general, technology, science and so on - you will always find someone, which is very directly related to Kostroma. Pushkin, Lermontov, Gorky. Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky, Pisarev, Uspensky, Katenin, Florensky, Savrasov, Kustodiev, Dyagilev, Mikhalkov, Alexander Alexandrovich Zinoviev; writers, artists, entrepreneurs, revolutionaries, inventors, politicians... In some world-famous for its classic Russian provincialism, Kologriv has been storing, figuratively speaking, unique sketches, if not of Leo-Nardo da Vinci himself, then certainly of his school, almost since the seventeenth century. And not only that. Nevertheless, the well-known Chukhloma to the Fatherland, in addition to thinkers of the rank of Rozanov and Zinoviev (where should domestic philosophers mature and not be born, if not in Chukhloma, Manturov or Khrenknowswhere?), gave an actor of amazing, national, originality — Mikhail Pugovkin, who can not be confused with anyone, a role that no one will repeat. (shrink)

I argue that, in the second half of the second Millennium, three parallel processes took place. First, normative ethics, or natural morality, that had been a distinct subject in the education of European elites from the Renaissance times to the end of the eighteenth century, disappeared as such, being partly allotted to the Churches via the teaching of religion in State School, and partly absorbed by the study of history and literature, assumed to be channels for imbibing younger generations with (...) the shared values of the State, the Nation, or the People. Second, religion, or better the prevailing religion or, in most countries, the “State Religion,” became a compulsory subject in the State school. Both the State school and Religion as a discipline were indeed novelties. Third, a result of a tacit pact between two ruling groups was that the canon of European culture was transformed into something less consistent and less comprehensive than its previous post-Renaissance version had been. In more detail, the tradition to be transmitted to younger generations was construed around a fable, or better a lie, namely that the modern European is the ancient Greek’s grandson, and the ancient Hebrew had nothing to bequest to the Modern European. Besides, the canon was reduced to a bark without a kernel, in so far as literature and history took the place that used to belong to “philosophy” or to Studia Humanitatis. (shrink)

Beyond Capitalism: Designing a New Economic System for Humanity -/- Introduction -/- For centuries, capitalism has been the dominant economic system, driving technological innovation, wealth creation, and global trade. However, its flaws—extreme inequality, environmental destruction, and economic instability—have made many question whether it is still the best model for humanity. Instead of reforming capitalism, perhaps the time has come to replace it entirely with a new system that better aligns with modern challenges, human well-being, and sustainability. -/- This essay explores (...) a new economic model that moves beyond capitalism and socialism, aiming for a system that is fair, sustainable, and technologically advanced. -/- Why Capitalism Must Be Replaced -/- Capitalism’s fundamental flaws make it unsustainable in the long run: -/- 1. Wealth Inequality and Economic Injustice -/- The richest 1% own more than half of the world’s wealth, while billions struggle in poverty. -/- The capitalist system prioritizes profits over people, leading to worker exploitation and economic instability. -/- 2. Environmental Collapse -/- Capitalism’s endless growth model is destroying the planet through deforestation, pollution, and climate change. -/- Corporations prioritize short-term profits over long-term sustainability. -/- 3. Automation and AI Disrupting Jobs -/- Millions of jobs are being replaced by artificial intelligence and automation. -/- The capitalist system does not account for a future where human labor is no longer essential. -/- 4. Psychological and Social Problems -/- Consumerism creates stress, anxiety, and social isolation by equating happiness with material wealth. -/- The fear of financial instability keeps people trapped in low-quality jobs and debt cycles. -/- Given these issues, capitalism is no longer fit for the future. A completely new economic system must be built—one that values sustainability, equality, and technology-driven efficiency. -/- Introducing a New Economic System: The Post-Capitalist Model -/- A new economic model must prioritize human well-being, technological efficiency, and ecological balance over profit. Below is a blueprint for a post-capitalist society. -/- 1. A Resource-Based Economy (RBE) -/- A Resource-Based Economy (RBE) is an economic model where all goods and services are freely available based on need, rather than money or trade. -/- Technology and AI manage resources efficiently, eliminating the need for money. -/- Automation handles labor, allowing people to pursue education, research, and creativity. -/- No private ownership of land or resources, only shared community access based on sustainability. -/- 2. Universal Basic Infrastructure (UBI 2.0) -/- Instead of just giving people money (UBI), a new system would provide universal basic needs, including: -/- Free housing, healthcare, education, food, and clean energy for all. -/- Advanced AI-driven logistics to distribute goods and services efficiently. -/- 3. Decentralized AI Governance -/- Rather than governments being controlled by corporations or corrupt politicians, AI and collective intelligence could ensure fair and transparent decision-making. -/- AI algorithms could optimize resource distribution, prevent waste, and eliminate financial corruption. -/- Direct democratic participation, where people vote on policies using secure blockchain systems. -/- 4. Sustainable, Circular Economy -/- Zero waste policies, where everything is recycled, reused, or repurposed. -/- Focus on degrowth—reducing unnecessary production while increasing quality of life. -/- Energy-efficient smart cities, where transportation, housing, and food production are automated. -/- 5. Post-Work Society: Emphasizing Purpose Over Jobs -/- In a post-capitalist economy, people would not be forced to work meaningless jobs just to survive. Instead: -/- People could focus on science, philosophy, arts, personal growth, and social well-being. -/- Education would be lifelong and freely available. -/- AI and robots would handle most labor, leaving humans free to explore their full potential. -/- How This System Would Solve Capitalism’s Problems -/- Challenges in Transitioning to a Post-Capitalist Economy -/- While this system solves capitalism’s biggest problems, transitioning away from capitalism would face major challenges: -/- 1. Resistance from the Wealthy Elite -/- Billionaires and corporations control most of the world’s resources and political systems. -/- They would fight to maintain power, delaying or sabotaging systemic change. -/- 2. Psychological and Cultural Shifts -/- People have been conditioned to associate money with survival and success. -/- A new system would require re-educating society on cooperation, sustainability, and shared abundance. -/- 3. Technology and Infrastructure Development -/- Large-scale AI, automation, and sustainable energy infrastructure would need global investment. -/- Governments and private companies must be convinced to prioritize long-term sustainability over short-term profit. -/- The Path Forward: Steps to Build a Post-Capitalist World -/- While the transition will not happen overnight, we can begin moving toward a post-capitalist future by taking the following steps: -/- 1. Implement Universal Basic Income (UBI) Now -/- Governments can start by providing a safety net while transitioning to a money-free economy. -/- Countries like Finland and Canada are already experimenting with UBI programs. -/- 2. Expand AI and Automation for Public Good -/- AI should be used to reduce labor burdens, not to enrich corporations. -/- Governments should invest in open-source AI that benefits all of society. -/- 3. Develop Smart Cities and Circular Economies -/- Cities should be designed for zero waste, renewable energy, and efficient transportation. -/- Governments must ban planned obsolescence and require full recycling of consumer products. -/- 4. Decentralize Power Using Blockchain and Direct Democracy -/- Blockchain voting systems can eliminate election fraud and political corruption. -/- AI-assisted governance can help make fair, data-driven policy decisions. -/- 5. Redefine Education and Human Purpose -/- Schools should move away from job training and focus on creativity, science, philosophy, and social intelligence. -/- Societies should emphasize happiness, purpose, and sustainability over financial success. -/- Conclusion: A New Civilization Beyond Capitalism -/- Capitalism was a necessary stage in human evolution, but it has outlived its usefulness. The future demands a system that is more intelligent, just, and sustainable—one where: ✅ No one is forced to work just to survive. ✅ Resources are managed intelligently, not wasted for profit. ✅ Technology is used for human well-being, not corporate greed. ✅ The planet is protected, not exploited. -/- This is not utopian fantasy—it is a logical step forward in human evolution. By combining AI, automation, decentralized governance, and sustainability, we can create a post-capitalist society where everyone thrives. -/- The question Is no longer “Should we replace capitalism?” The question is: “How soon can we build a better system before capitalism destroys us all?” -/- . (shrink)

The Illusion of Success: How Glamorizing Extreme Wealth Distorts Reality -/- Introduction -/- In today’s world, extreme wealth accumulation is often portrayed as the ultimate symbol of success. Social media, Hollywood, and business magazines frequently celebrate billionaires, luxury lifestyles, and financial empires, creating an illusion that success is solely defined by material wealth. However, this obsession with extreme riches distorts the true meaning of achievement and fulfillment. While financial stability is important, an overemphasis on wealth as the pinnacle of success (...) ignores ethical concerns, promotes unrealistic standards, and contributes to social inequality. This essay explores why glamorizing extreme wealth creates an illusion of success, provides real-world examples, and suggests solutions to redefine success in a more balanced and meaningful way. -/- The Problems with Glamorizing Extreme Wealth -/- 1. Shallow Definition of Success -/- Success is often equated with material wealth, leading people to believe that financial riches alone define a fulfilling life. This perspective overlooks other essential aspects such as personal growth, happiness, strong relationships, and contributions to society. -/- Example: Many billionaires, despite their immense wealth, express dissatisfaction or regret later in life. Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple, famously reflected on his deathbed that despite his financial achievements, what mattered most was family and love, not wealth. -/- Solution: Society should broaden its definition of success to include well-being, emotional intelligence, social impact, and personal growth. Schools and media should highlight stories of people who achieve success through creativity, innovation, or service rather than just financial gain. -/- 2. Overlooks Ethical Concerns -/- Many individuals accumulate extreme wealth through exploitative means, monopolization, or environmental harm. When wealth is glorified without considering its origins, society sends the wrong message that “winning at any cost” is acceptable. -/- Example: The fast-fashion industry, led by billion-dollar companies like Shein and Zara, thrives on cheap labor and poor working conditions in developing countries. Yet, these brands are celebrated for their financial success while their ethical violations are ignored. -/- Solution: Consumers should be educated about ethical consumption, and governments should enforce fair labor laws and environmental regulations to ensure wealth accumulation does not come at the cost of exploitation. -/- 3. Creates Unattainable Standards -/- The media often showcases the extravagant lifestyles of billionaires—private jets, mega-mansions, and designer brands—as if they are attainable for the average person. This can lead to feelings of inadequacy and unrealistic aspirations, causing individuals to chase unattainable financial goals instead of meaningful personal development. -/- Example: Social media influencers often portray luxury lifestyles, leading young people to believe that financial success is the only path to happiness. This illusion pressures individuals into unhealthy financial habits, such as overspending or taking on debt to maintain a lavish lifestyle. -/- Solution: Media platforms should promote financial literacy and realistic wealth-building strategies, emphasizing the importance of saving, investing wisely, and achieving a balanced lifestyle rather than promoting excessive consumerism. -/- 4. Ignores Wealth Inequality -/- By excessively focusing on the ultra-rich, society often ignores the struggles of the majority. Many people face financial hardship, lack access to quality education, and struggle with healthcare costs, yet their stories are overshadowed by the glorification of extreme wealth. -/- Example: In the United States, the wealth gap has widened significantly, with the richest 1% owning more wealth than the bottom 90% combined. Despite this, media coverage often focuses on billionaires like Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos rather than addressing systemic issues like wage stagnation or the rising cost of living. -/- Solution: Governments should implement progressive taxation, better wages, and social programs that ensure economic growth benefits all, not just the wealthy elite. Policies that support entrepreneurship and small businesses can also help create a more balanced economy. -/- 5. False Promise of Happiness -/- Many assume that accumulating vast amounts of money guarantees happiness. However, psychological research shows that after a certain financial threshold (around $75,000 per year, according to studies), more money does not significantly increase happiness. Instead, purpose, meaningful relationships, and well-being play a much larger role in long-term satisfaction. -/- Example: Celebrities like Jim Carrey and MacKenzie Scott (ex-wife of Jeff Bezos) have spoken about how money does not guarantee happiness. MacKenzie Scott has donated billions to charity, stating that fulfillment comes from giving, not accumulating. -/- Solution: People should be encouraged to seek purpose beyond wealth—through meaningful careers, personal development, and contributing to their communities. Schools should teach emotional intelligence and the value of non-material success. -/- 6. Distorts Economic Priorities -/- When extreme wealth is idolized, economic policies often favor the rich over the majority. This leads to tax breaks for corporations, reduced funding for social services, and policies that widen the wealth gap rather than support fair economic growth. -/- Example: In some countries, tax laws favor large corporations while small businesses struggle to survive. Meanwhile, billionaires use loopholes to pay little or no taxes, despite their enormous wealth. -/- Solution: Governments should enforce fair taxation policies and reinvest wealth into public services like education, healthcare, and infrastructure. This ensures economic benefits are distributed more equitably. -/- 7. Encourages Short-Term Thinking -/- The obsession with wealth accumulation often promotes risky financial behavior, gambling mindsets, and a disregard for long-term sustainability. When people chase quick financial success, they may ignore ethical business practices or long-term financial planning. -/- Example: The rise of speculative investments like cryptocurrency and meme stocks has led many individuals to risk their life savings in hopes of instant wealth, often resulting in financial ruin. -/- Solution: Financial education should focus on responsible investment strategies and long-term financial security rather than chasing get-rich-quick schemes. Governments should regulate speculative markets to prevent economic instability. -/- Conclusion: Redefining Success for a Better Society -/- Glamorizing extreme wealth accumulation distorts the true meaning of success, leading to unrealistic expectations, ethical compromises, and social inequality. While financial stability is essential, true success should be measured by a holistic balance—well-being, personal fulfillment, contribution to society, and ethical integrity. -/- To counteract the illusion of success tied solely to wealth, society must shift its focus to values that promote sustainable prosperity. This includes: -/- Redefining success to include social impact, happiness, and personal growth. -/- Promoting ethical business practices that prioritize fair wages and environmental responsibility. -/- Implementing fair economic policies that support small businesses and the working class. -/- Teaching financial literacy to help individuals make informed financial decisions. -/- Encouraging a culture of giving and sustainability rather than excessive consumption. -/- By fostering a more balanced view of success, we can create a society where wealth is not just about accumulation but about shared prosperity, ethical responsibility, and long-term well-being. -/- . (shrink)

The Universal Formula for Eliminating Government Corruption: A Natural Law-Based Approach -/- Introduction -/- Government corruption is one of the most persistent obstacles to societal progress, leading to economic decline, weakened institutions, and widespread inequality. Traditional anti-corruption measures—such as stricter laws, transparency initiatives, and public awareness campaigns—have failed to fully eliminate corruption because they do not address the problem at a systemic and scientific level. -/- By applying the universal formula, which is based on the universal law of balance in (...) nature, we can understand corruption as a systemic defect—a violation of natural equilibrium that causes inefficiency and societal suffering. This essay will provide a comprehensive scientific explanation of corruption, supported by research, and propose a complete solution that integrates education, institutional reforms, AGI-driven governance, cultural adaptation, and strategic implementation. -/- 1. The Science Behind Corruption: A Systemic Imbalance -/- A. Psychological and Biological Causes → Internal Homeostasis -/- Scientific research suggests that corruption is rooted in human psychology and biology, particularly in: -/- Evolutionary survival instincts – Studies indicate that self-preservation and resource hoarding behaviors evolved to ensure survival but can also lead to greed and corruption in modern societies. (Reference: Trivers, 1971 – Evolutionary theory of reciprocity) -/- Cognitive biases – Research in behavioral psychology shows that self-justification, moral disengagement, and in-group favoritism make individuals rationalize corrupt behavior. (Reference: Bandura, 1999 – Moral disengagement theory) -/- Neurological reward systems – Studies using fMRI scans reveal that bribery activates brain regions associated with pleasure, reinforcing corrupt behaviors. (Reference: Ariely & Loewenstein, 2006 – Neurological basis of unethical behavior) -/- Universal Formula Solution: -/- Educational reprogramming is needed to counteract these internal imbalances. -/- Schools should instill ethical reasoning, self-regulation, and critical thinking from an early age. -/- Leaders must be trained to recognize that corruption leads to long-term systemic instability, disrupting both individual and societal balance. -/- B. Economic Incentives and Systemic Defects → Structural Homeostasis -/- Economists have long observed that corruption is often a rational response to flawed systems where: -/- Low salaries and financial insecurity create incentives for bribery. (Reference: Becker & Stigler, 1974 – Economics of crime and punishment) -/- Weak regulatory oversight allows corruption to persist with minimal consequences. -/- Lack of transparency in financial systems enables embezzlement and fraud. -/- Universal Formula Solution: -/- The economic system must be free of defects—governments should: -/- Ensure fair wages for public officials to reduce bribery incentives. -/- Use blockchain-based transparency systems to track public spending. -/- Implement AI-driven financial audits to detect corruption in real time. -/- C. Political and Institutional Weakness → Governance Homeostasis -/- Corruption thrives when institutions fail to enforce accountability and transparency. -/- The Principal-Agent Problem: Public officials (agents) may act in their own interests rather than serving the public (principals). (Reference: Rose-Ackerman, 1978 – Corruption and governance theory) -/- Legal Loopholes: Weak anti-corruption laws allow elites to manipulate the system. -/- Lack of Whistleblower Protections: Fear of retaliation prevents corruption from being exposed. -/- Universal Formula Solution: -/- Governments must function like biological systems, with constant monitoring and correction mechanisms: -/- Real-time transparency tools (AI-driven monitoring of government transactions). -/- Independent anti-corruption agencies with full enforcement powers. -/- Legal frameworks based on the principle of natural balance, where punishments restore equilibrium rather than being arbitrary. -/- D. Cultural Normalization of Corruption → Collective Homeostasis -/- In some societies, corruption is seen as an accepted norm due to: -/- Patronage networks and nepotism embedded in political cultures. -/- Religious and social justifications for bribery (“gifts” given in exchange for favors). -/- Distrust in the justice system, leading to reliance on informal corruption-based solutions. -/- Universal Formula Solution: -/- A holistic education system must be implemented to reprogram societal attitudes toward corruption. -/- Schools should teach: -/- The universal law of balance and its ethical implications. -/- The cause-and-effect nature of corruption—how even small acts of dishonesty contribute to systemic collapse. -/- Critical thinking skills to challenge corrupt norms and misinformation. -/- 2. Case Studies: Applying the Universal Formula to Real-World Corruption -/- Case Study 1: Singapore’s Zero-Tolerance Approach -/- Singapore successfully reduced corruption by: -/- Increasing public sector salaries to remove bribery incentives. -/- Strict enforcement of anti-corruption laws, ensuring accountability. -/- Cultural reprogramming through education and public campaigns. -/- Universal Formula Connection: Singapore’s model aligns with systemic homeostasis, ensuring a balance between economic incentives, strong institutions, and ethical education. -/- Case Study 2: Scandinavian Countries – Transparency and Trust -/- Nordic countries (Denmark, Sweden, Norway) maintain low corruption levels through: -/- Public trust in institutions based on long-term systemic balance. -/- High transparency in government spending. -/- Strong legal frameworks with immediate corrective feedback mechanisms. -/- Universal Formula Connection: These countries maintain governance homeostasis, preventing corruption through self-correcting institutional designs. -/- 3. Implementing the Universal Formula to Eliminate Corruption -/- A. Education Reform: The Foundation of Ethical Governance -/- Integrate the universal law of balance into curricula from elementary to higher education. -/- Teach cause-and-effect relationships in governance (e.g., how small bribes lead to systemic collapse). -/- Develop leadership training programs that emphasize ethical decision-making based on natural balance. -/- B. Institutional Reforms: Creating a Self-Correcting System -/- Implement blockchain-based transparency systems for public finance. -/- Strengthen whistleblower protections to ensure safe reporting of corruption. -/- Decentralize power to reduce opportunities for monopolistic corruption. -/- C. AGI-Driven Ethical Governance -/- Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) can be programmed with the universal formula to: -/- Monitor government transactions and detect corruption patterns. -/- Ensure transparent decision-making based on systemic balance. -/- Remove human cognitive biases from governance. -/- D. Cultural Adaptation: Tailoring Solutions to Different Societies -/- In high-corruption societies, initial reforms should focus on education and small wins to shift cultural attitudes. -/- In developing countries, AGI-driven transparency tools can bypass weak institutions. -/- In democratic nations, citizen engagement should be emphasized to create self-regulating governance. -/- --- -/- 4. Addressing Challenges and Counterarguments -/- Objection: “Corruption is inevitable in human nature.” Response: Human nature includes both corruption and ethical reasoning—education determines which dominates. -/- Objection: “Elites will resist systemic reforms.” Response: AGI-driven transparency tools and mass education campaigns can reduce elite control. -/- Objection: “Implementing these changes is unrealistic.” Response: Small-scale pilots in cities or institutions can demonstrate success before national adoption. -/- --- -/- Conclusion: The Universal Formula as the Ultimate Solution to Corruption -/- Corruption is a systemic defect—a violation of the universal law of balance in nature. By applying scientific principles of homeostasis, cause and effect, and feedback regulation, we can create a corruption-free governance model. The universal formula offers the only complete solution, integrating education, institutional reform, AGI-driven oversight, and cultural adaptation. -/- If implemented, this model could lead to a world where governance functions as a perfectly balanced system—free of defects, ethical, and in harmony with natural law. -/- . (shrink)

Why Capitalism Cannot Create More Successful Entrepreneurs to Balance Stable Job Creation Amid Increasing Population Growth -/- Introduction -/- Capitalism is often praised for fostering entrepreneurship, economic growth, and job creation. However, its inherent flaws—such as wealth concentration, monopolization, financial barriers, and wage suppression—prevent it from producing enough successful entrepreneurs to balance job creation with increasing population growth. As the global population expands, capitalism alone fails to generate sufficient employment opportunities, leading to economic instability, poverty, and inequality. -/- To address (...) these challenges, a balanced approach involving government intervention, socialist-inspired policies, population regulation, and a coordinated effort between private and public sector job creation is necessary. By ensuring economic stability, providing social safety nets, and aligning workforce growth with sustainable employment opportunities, societies can mitigate capitalism’s failures while maintaining its productive aspects. -/- 1. The Fundamental Flaws of Capitalism in Job Creation -/- While capitalism promotes competition and innovation, it also creates significant economic imbalances: -/- Wealth Concentration and Inequality: Over time, wealth accumulates among a few individuals and corporations, reducing opportunities for new entrepreneurs and limiting social mobility. -/- Monopolization: Large corporations dominate markets, pushing out small businesses and reducing job diversity. -/- Financial Barriers to Entrepreneurship: The cost of starting and sustaining a business is high, making it difficult for new entrepreneurs to compete. -/- Short-Term Profit Maximization: Companies prioritize short-term gains, often outsourcing jobs or automating processes to cut costs, rather than investing in long-term job creation. -/- Cyclical Economic Crises: Capitalist economies experience frequent recessions, leading to mass layoffs, business failures, and financial insecurity. -/- These issues make capitalism insufficient in creating enough businesses and stable jobs to match population growth. -/- 2. The Difficulty of Starting a Business and Its Impact on Job Creation -/- Despite the belief that anyone can succeed through hard work, starting a business remains a significant challenge due to: -/- High Initial Costs: Rent, inventory, equipment, and salaries require substantial capital. -/- Limited Access to Credit: Most banks and investors require collateral or proven profitability, which new entrepreneurs lack. -/- Complex Regulations: Navigating legal and tax systems is expensive and time-consuming. -/- Intense Market Competition: Large corporations benefit from economies of scale, making survival difficult for small businesses. -/- Due to these challenges, most aspiring entrepreneurs fail or remain in precarious financial positions, reducing their ability to contribute to long-term job creation. -/- 3. The Effect of Low Wages on Consumer Buying Power and Job Stability -/- One of capitalism’s biggest contradictions is its reliance on low wages to maximize corporate profits while simultaneously needing strong consumer demand to sustain business growth. -/- Reduced Consumer Demand: When workers earn low wages, they have less money to spend, weakening economic growth. -/- Increased Debt and Financial Instability: Many workers rely on credit for basic needs, making them financially vulnerable. -/- Job Insecurity and Precarious Work: Companies cut costs by hiring temporary workers or outsourcing jobs, leading to job instability. -/- By failing to pay workers a living wage, capitalism limits its own potential for sustainable economic growth, reinforcing inequality and restricting business expansion. -/- 4. Balancing Job Creation Between the Private and Public Sectors -/- To counteract capitalism’s job creation failures, a balanced approach that combines private sector entrepreneurship and government-led job creation is essential. -/- A. Private Sector Job Creation -/- The private sector should remain a driving force of economic innovation and employment, but it must be regulated to prevent exploitative practices. Governments can support private-sector job creation by: -/- Providing Financial Assistance to Startups: Low-interest loans and grants can help small businesses grow. -/- Ensuring Fair Competition: Antitrust laws prevent monopolies from dominating industries. -/- Raising Minimum Wages: Ensuring fair wages strengthens consumer spending and business stability. -/- Encouraging Ethical Business Models: Worker cooperatives and profit-sharing models can create sustainable, fair workplaces. -/- B. Government-Led Job Creation -/- Governments must step in where the private sector fails to provide sufficient employment opportunities. Public-sector job creation should focus on: -/- Infrastructure Development: Roads, bridges, schools, and renewable energy projects generate long-term employment. -/- Public Services Expansion: More jobs in healthcare, education, and social services create stable employment. -/- Green Economy Investments: Sustainable industries like clean energy and environmental conservation create new career paths. -/- Universal Job Guarantee Programs: Governments can offer public jobs in times of economic downturns to prevent mass unemployment. -/- By combining private-sector dynamism with public-sector stability, societies can ensure that job creation keeps pace with population growth. -/- 5. The Role of Population Regulation in Economic Stability -/- One of the critical yet often overlooked aspects of economic sustainability is aligning population growth with job availability. Unregulated population expansion can lead to: -/- Unemployment and Underemployment: More people entering the job market than available jobs create economic strain. -/- Increased Poverty and Social Unrest: Large unemployed populations lead to instability and higher crime rates. -/- Strain on Public Services: Overpopulation overwhelms healthcare, education, and infrastructure systems. -/- A. Family Planning and Education -/- Governments must implement policies that encourage responsible population growth through: -/- Access to Contraception and Family Planning Services: Ensuring reproductive health choices empower families to plan their future. -/- Educational Campaigns on Sustainable Population Growth: Teaching the economic impact of overpopulation helps societies make informed decisions. -/- Encouraging Gender Equality and Women’s Employment: Empowering women in the workforce naturally leads to lower birth rates and a more balanced economy. -/- B. Workforce and Immigration Planning -/- Instead of uncontrolled population growth, governments should focus on workforce planning to ensure that job creation aligns with demographic trends: -/- Targeted Immigration Policies: Encouraging skilled immigration in sectors with labor shortages helps maintain economic stability. -/- Retraining and Reskilling Programs: Adapting the workforce to emerging industries prevents large-scale unemployment. -/- Regional Job Distribution: Encouraging businesses to develop outside of major cities can balance employment opportunities across regions. -/- By coordinating population regulation with job market needs, economies can achieve sustainable development and avoid crisis-driven employment gaps. -/- 6. The Importance of Government and Central Bank Policies -/- To stabilize capitalism’s weaknesses, government and central bank intervention using socialist principles is essential. These policies include: -/- Progressive Taxation: Redistributing wealth to fund public services and entrepreneurship programs. -/- Public Investment in Education and Vocational Training: Preparing the workforce for new economic demands. -/- Job-Creation Programs: Investing in sectors that provide stable, long-term employment. -/- Monetary Policies that Promote Sustainable Growth: Controlling inflation, interest rates, and wage growth to prevent economic instability. -/- A coordinated economic strategy ensures that capitalism’s benefits are widely distributed, rather than concentrated among a wealthy elite. -/- 7. Conclusion: A Mixed Economic Model for Sustainable Job Growth -/- Capitalism, by itself, fails to create enough successful entrepreneurs and jobs to match population growth due to its systemic flaws. Wealth concentration, monopolization, financial barriers, and low wages prevent new businesses from thriving and workers from earning enough to sustain economic demand. -/- To correct these imbalances, a mixed economic model—combining capitalist entrepreneurship with government intervention, population regulation, and central bank policies—is necessary. By balancing private-sector innovation with public-sector job creation and aligning workforce growth with sustainable employment opportunities, societies can ensure economic stability, reduce inequality, and promote long-term prosperity. -/- Only through holistic economic planning can nations achieve stable job creation, entrepreneurship growth, and population balance, creating a future where economic progress benefits everyone, not just a privileged few. -/- . (shrink)

This third and final volume concludes Hermias' commentary on Plato's Phaedrus. Here, Plato delivers a celebrated critique of writing, and its relationship to orality. Hermias follows him, and adds a general account of good writing. In addition, this volume offers the first English translation of the brief Introduction to Hermogenes' On Styles, which manuscripts attribute-probably mistakenly-to Hermias' teacher Syrianus. Baltzly and Share discuss the Introduction's authorship and its relation to the genuine commentaries of Syrianus on the rhetorical treatises of Hermogenes. (...) They illuminate the relationship between philosophy and rhetoric in the Neoplatonic schools, and provide a novel explanation of Neoplatonic commentaries as performances of Platonic literacy in ancient elite education. This translation offers novel evidence of interest for students of ancient philosophy, rhetorical education, and literature more broadly. It is accompanied by explanatory notes, an introduction, and scholarly apparatus, including indices, glossaries, and bibliography. (shrink)

Why Governments Become Corrupt: The Role of Power, Education, and Moral Values -/- Corruption is one of the most persistent problems in governance, affecting societies across different political and economic systems. It undermines democracy, weakens institutions, and diverts resources meant for public welfare into private hands. While corruption is often associated with greed and abuse of power, its roots go much deeper, extending to failures in the educational system and the erosion of family moral values. This essay explores the reasons (...) behind government corruption and how systemic failures in education and morality contribute to its persistence. -/- 1. Power Without Accountability -/- One of the primary reasons governments become corrupt is the unchecked power held by officials. When political leaders and bureaucrats operate without sufficient oversight, they are more likely to misuse public funds, manipulate policies, and engage in bribery or favoritism. In many countries, weak democratic institutions fail to impose consequences on corrupt individuals, allowing them to act with impunity. The absence of transparency in decision-making processes further enables corruption to thrive, as citizens are kept in the dark about how their governments operate. -/- 2. Weak Legal and Political Institutions -/- Corruption flourishes in environments where legal frameworks exist but are not enforced. Many countries have anti-corruption laws, yet enforcement is selective or non-existent. This failure is often due to political interference in the judiciary, where corrupt leaders appoint judges who will protect them from prosecution. Furthermore, when law enforcement agencies themselves are corrupt, they fail to investigate and punish those in power. This creates a vicious cycle where corruption becomes the norm rather than the exception. -/- 3. The Role of Greed and Self-Interest -/- Human nature, particularly the pursuit of wealth and status, plays a significant role in government corruption. Many officials prioritize their personal and political interests over the welfare of the people they serve. Bribery, embezzlement, and fraud become tempting options for those seeking to enrich themselves at the expense of society. Additionally, political patronage—where politicians use their power to reward loyal supporters with government positions or contracts—further entrenches corruption. -/- 4. The Failure of the Educational System -/- One of the overlooked causes of corruption is the failure of the educational system to instill ethical values and critical thinking. Education is supposed to shape responsible citizens, but in many countries, the system is focused on rote learning rather than teaching morality, civic responsibility, and ethical leadership. Schools and universities often do not provide students with the tools to question authority, recognize corruption, or demand transparency from their leaders. -/- Moreover, when the education system itself is corrupt—through bribery in admissions, fake diplomas, or unqualified teachers—it sets a dangerous precedent. Students grow up believing that success can be achieved through dishonest means, reinforcing the idea that corruption is an acceptable part of life. Without a strong moral foundation in education, future generations are more likely to participate in or tolerate corrupt practices. -/- 5. The Decline of Family Moral Values -/- Family plays a crucial role in shaping an individual’s ethical beliefs and behaviors. However, in many societies, traditional moral values that emphasize honesty, integrity, and accountability are declining. Parents, preoccupied with economic survival, may fail to teach their children the importance of moral principles. In some cases, families themselves engage in corrupt behaviors—such as paying bribes to secure jobs or influencing government officials for personal gain—sending the message that corruption is a necessary survival strategy. -/- Religious and cultural institutions, which once played a significant role in promoting ethical behavior, have also lost influence in many societies. As materialism and individualism grow stronger, the collective responsibility for upholding moral values weakens. When individuals lack strong moral guidance from their families and communities, they are more likely to justify corrupt actions when they gain positions of power. -/- 6. Economic Pressures and Low Salaries -/- Economic hardship can also drive corruption, especially in developing nations where government employees are underpaid. When officials struggle to meet their basic needs, they may resort to accepting bribes, embezzling funds, or engaging in illicit activities to supplement their income. In such environments, corruption becomes a survival mechanism rather than just a moral failure. -/- 7. Corporate Influence and Political Lobbying -/- The influence of powerful corporations over government policies is another major driver of corruption. Large businesses often fund political campaigns, expecting favorable policies in return. This results in leaders prioritizing corporate interests over public welfare. When governments are captured by private interests, policies that should benefit the majority are distorted to serve a wealthy elite. -/- 8. The Lack of Civic Engagement and Public Awareness -/- When citizens do not actively participate in governance or demand accountability, corrupt leaders face little resistance. A disengaged population allows corruption to thrive because there is no pressure for change. In many cases, people feel powerless or fear retaliation for speaking out against corrupt officials. Strengthening civic awareness through education, media, and public activism is essential in the fight against corruption. -/- Solutions: Restoring Integrity Through Education and Morality -/- To combat corruption effectively, reforms must address not only political and legal structures but also educational and moral foundations: -/- Strengthening the Educational System: Schools must incorporate ethics, civic responsibility, and critical thinking into their curriculum. Teachers should emphasize honesty and accountability, ensuring that students understand the long-term consequences of corruption. -/- Rebuilding Family Moral Values: Families must take a more active role in teaching children about integrity and social responsibility. Parents should set examples by refusing to participate in corrupt practices. -/- Enforcing Strong Anti-Corruption Laws: Governments must ensure that laws against corruption are applied equally, regardless of political or economic status. Independent judicial bodies should oversee investigations and prosecutions. -/- Improving Transparency in Governance: Public access to government transactions and decision-making processes must be expanded to reduce opportunities for corruption. Digital tools, such as open data platforms, can help track government spending and prevent misuse of funds. -/- Encouraging Citizen Participation: People must be empowered to hold their leaders accountable. This includes supporting investigative journalism, encouraging whistleblowers, and engaging in peaceful protests or advocacy movements. -/- Conclusion -/- Government corruption is a complex issue rooted in systemic failures, economic pressures, and ethical erosion. While power, greed, and weak institutions contribute to corruption, the failure of the educational system and the decline of moral values play an equally significant role. Addressing corruption requires a multi-faceted approach that not only strengthens laws and institutions but also reforms education and restores ethical foundations within families. Only through a collective effort to instill integrity at all levels of society can corruption be effectively minimized, paving the way for just and accountable governance. -/- . (shrink)

Why Very Few Filipinos Are Interested in a Political Career and the Debate on Political Dynasties -/- Politics in the Philippines is a critical force in shaping the nation’s future. However, few Filipinos actively pursue a political career due to political dynasties, corruption, financial barriers, security risks, and public distrust in government. Additionally, many Filipinos engage in passive criticism—they are quick to complain about bad governance but reluctant to participate in political change. -/- While political dynasties are often blamed for (...) limiting opportunities, some argue they bring stability and governance experience that newcomers lack. Given these challenges, meaningful reforms are necessary to make politics more inclusive, transparent, and accessible to competent and ethical leaders. -/- Reasons Why Few Filipinos Enter Politics -/- 1. Political Dynasties Limit Opportunities for New Leaders -/- Political families monopolize power, making it hard for new candidates to enter the political arena. With dynasties controlling campaign funding, voter influence, and government positions, independent candidates face unfair competition. -/- 2. Filipinos Are Trapped in a “Criticism Mentality” but Avoid Action -/- Many Filipinos frequently criticize politicians on social media but do not: -/- Vote wisely -/- Participate in governance initiatives -/- Consider running for office -/- This passive yet highly critical audience mentality discourages new leaders from emerging, leaving traditional political families unchallenged. -/- 3. Corruption and Patronage Politics Discourage Honest Candidates -/- Many competent individuals avoid politics because they fear they will be forced to engage in corrupt practices or become powerless against established political elites. -/- 4. High Cost of Running for Office -/- Elections in the Philippines require millions of pesos in campaign funds. Political dynasties have vast financial resources, while new candidates struggle to afford advertisements, rallies, and logistics. -/- 5. Work-Life Balance and Security Risks -/- Political careers demand long hours, constant public scrutiny, and expose candidates to political violence and assassination risks. This discourages potential leaders from entering politics. -/- 6. Lack of Trust in Government -/- Many Filipinos believe the system is rigged and that no real change can happen. This disillusionment prevents capable individuals from seeking public office. -/- 7. Bureaucracy and Slow Reforms -/- Even well-intentioned politicians struggle with red tape, partisan gridlock, and resistance from political elites. This slow pace of change discourages new leaders. -/- 8. Fear of Failure and Political Rivalries -/- Losing an election can be financially and socially devastating. Additionally, political rivalries often result in: -/- Character assassinations -/- Legal harassment -/- Physical threats or violence -/- This hostile environment discourages many Filipinos from pursuing politics. -/- The Debate on Political Dynasties: Should They Stay or Go? -/- Why Political Dynasties Should Stay -/- Some argue that political dynasties provide stability and experience, especially because: -/- 1. Governance Knowledge – Long-standing political families understand government operations better than inexperienced newcomers. -/- 2. Continuity in Leadership – Dynasties ensure long-term projects and reforms are completed rather than abandoned after elections. -/- 3. Strong Political Networks – Established families have the connections to efficiently implement policies. -/- 4. Newcomers Are a Risk – Some first-time politicians struggle with decision-making, leading to ineffective governance. -/- Why Political Dynasties Should Be Limited -/- Critics argue that dynasties create an unfair monopoly and prevent new leadership from emerging. -/- 1. Lack of Political Competition – Dynasties dominate elections, leaving little room for independent candidates. -/- 2. Corruption and Self-Interest – Many dynastic politicians prioritize family wealth and power over public service. -/- 3. Poor Performance Goes Unpunished – Many voters elect familiar names instead of choosing the most qualified leaders. -/- 4. Public Disillusionment – When the same families hold power for decades, people feel elections are meaningless. -/- Possible Reforms to Make Politics More Inclusive -/- To encourage competent and ethical leaders to enter politics, the following reforms can be implemented: -/- 1. Implement a Balanced Anti-Dynasty Law -/- Instead of banning dynasties outright, a reasonable anti-dynasty law can be implemented to: -/- Limit how many family members can hold office at the same time. -/- Prevent immediate re-election of relatives in the same position. -/- Ensure fair election funding to give independent candidates a fighting chance. -/- This would help promote merit-based governance while maintaining stability. -/- 2. Publicly Funded Campaigns for Independent Candidates -/- To level the playing field, the government should: -/- Subsidize campaign expenses for qualified independent candidates. -/- Limit private donations to reduce dynastic control over elections. -/- Enforce transparency in campaign financing to prevent corruption. -/- 3. Establish Political Education and Leadership Training -/- Many Filipinos lack political awareness. Schools and universities should: -/- Include political education in the curriculum. -/- Offer leadership training for aspiring politicians. -/- Provide internship programs in government offices. -/- This will help develop a new generation of well-educated and competent leaders. -/- 4. Strengthen Anti-Corruption Laws and Government Transparency -/- To restore public trust, reforms should: -/- Enforce real-time transparency in government spending. -/- Strengthen whistleblower protection to expose corruption. -/- Require full public disclosure of assets for all government officials. -/- 5. Improve Security for Political Candidates -/- To reduce election-related violence, the government should: -/- Provide police protection for independent candidates. -/- Enforce stricter penalties for political violence. -/- Monitor private armies linked to political families. -/- This would create a safer environment for new candidates. -/- 6. Encourage Youth Participation in Governance -/- The government should: -/- Lower the age requirement for some government positions. -/- Establish youth representation in decision-making councils. -/- Offer mentorship programs between experienced leaders and young aspirants. -/- By engaging the youth in governance early, we create future leaders who are prepared for public service. -/- 7. Promote Politics as Public Service, Not Power -/- To shift the perception of politics from a business empire to a duty to serve, the media and educational institutions should: -/- Highlight stories of ethical and effective politicians. -/- Emphasize leadership based on qualifications, not family names. -/- Encourage civic engagement through volunteerism and grassroots participation. -/- 8. Digital Voting and Electoral Reforms -/- To prevent vote-buying and election fraud, the government should: -/- Implement secure digital voting to make elections more accessible and transparent. -/- Strengthen voter education campaigns to promote informed decision-making. -/- Crack down on vote-buying syndicates through stricter penalties. -/- Conclusion -/- Few Filipinos enter politics due to political dynasties, corruption, financial barriers, security risks, and lack of trust in government. Many Filipinos also have a passive criticism mentality, where they complain about politicians but refuse to take action. -/- While some argue that political dynasties bring governance experience and stability, others believe they prevent competition and encourage corruption. The best approach is to introduce balanced reforms that limit dynasty control while allowing experienced politicians to serve effectively. -/- By implementing anti-dynasty laws, campaign finance reforms, political education, and anti-corruption measures, the Philippines can open its political system to fresh, capable, and ethical leaders. -/- If these reforms are enacted, more Filipinos will step up to lead, creating a government that truly represents the people. -/- . (shrink)

Education is essential to ensure the overall development of individuals. However, there exists a symbiotic relationship between language and education: the language of education determines one’s socio-economic position. Notably, knowledge production and dissemination in South Africa is dominated by English and vernacular languages are neglected. This discriminatory binary exists from primary schools to universities. It creates challenges for black, underprivileged, rural and semi-urban students, as they lack proficiency in English (known as the language of elites). Along with cultural and (...) racial discrimination, students from South Africa are victims of linguicism. Similarly, the modern Indian state has made education mandatory as a policy measure but students from marginalised sections face a language barrier. Consequently, students feel physiological trauma including inferiority complexes, humiliation. (shrink)

The authors of this book reconstruct the philosophical, methodological and theoretical assumptions of non-Marxian historical materialism, a theory of historical process authored by Leszek Nowak (1943-2009), a co-founder of the Poznań School of Methodology. In the first part of the book, philosophical assumptions of this theory are compared with the concepts of Robert Nozick, Immanuel Wallerstein, André Gunder Frank and analytical Marxism. In the second part, non-Marxian historical materialism is compared with the concepts of Eva Etzioni-Halevy, Andrzej Falkiewicz, Robert Michels, (...) Vilfredo Pareto, Theda Skocpol and Karl August Wittfogel. (shrink)

The paper aims to explore the relationships that exist between party structure, party system, patronage, and the appointments of the political elites. It is focused on the extent to which political parties can control the allocation of jobs as well as find out which are the institutions over whom the political parties can exercise power; the extent to which historical legacies influence patronage patterns; the extent to which party patronage is exercised in a ‘majoritarian’ as opposed to a more ‘consensual’ (...) manner across the spectrum of political parties; and the relationship that exist between the structure of the party, the appointment of political elites and patronage. The conclusion is that the party in public office and its allies in the coalition cabinet control the post of ministers and vice-ministers. While these last ones control the posts of their subordinates, it is hard to understand whether they select the employees from the party pool or from their personal networks. The other finding is that the structure of the party creates strong links between patronage and appointment, these last ones done with the scope of having control over government resources and distribution of resources. On the other hand, the research didn’t prove any link between historical legacies and patronage and party system and patronage. (shrink)

Critical race theorists and standpoint epistemologists argue that agents who are members of dominant social groups are often in a state of ignorance about the extent of their social dominance, where this ignorance is explained by these agents' membership in a socially dominant group (e.g., Mills 2007). To illustrate this claim bluntly, it is argued: 1) that many white men do not know the extent of their social dominance, 2) that they remain ignorant as to the extent of their dominant (...) social position even where this information is freely attainable, and 3) that this ignorance is due in part to the fact that they are white men. We argue that on Buchak's (2010, 2013) model of risk averse instrumental rationality, ignorance of one's privileges can be rational. This argument yields a new account of elite-group ignorance, why it may occur, and how it might be alleviated. (shrink)

Background: Food insecurity condition challenges the availability of food, access to food, food supply stability, and food utilization. Food banks play a major role in the food aid sector by distributing donated and purchased groceries directly to food-insecure families, thus significantly impacting food insecurity. On the other hand, school meal programs are implemented in many countries to combat food insecurity among school-aged children. The synergy between school meal programs and food banks has a great potency to combat food insecurity among (...) children effectively. Aim: This study aims to examine the association between experts’ involvement—such as nutritionists, farmers, and private sectors—and community engagement, including parents and others, with the linkage between food banks and school meal programs among implementing countries. Methods: The Bayesian Mindsponge Framework, combining the reasoning strengths of Mindsponge Theory and inference advantages of Bayesian analysis, was employed on a dataset of 126 government representatives who manage large-scale school meal programs in 126 different countries. Results: Findings showed that the involvement of nutritionists and the private sector was positively associated with the linkage between food banks and school meal programs, while farmers’ involvement showed an ambiguous association. The engagement of parents and others also showed an ambiguous relationship with this linkage. Conclusions: Findings underscore the strong need to formulate strategies for increasing the involvement of nutritionists and the private sector to successfully link the food banks with school meal programs in implementing countries, which is crucial for effectively combating food insecurity among school-aged children. (shrink)

Background: Food fortification refers to the process of adding nutrients to foods during their production. It is a cost-effective strategy with well-documented health, economic, and social benefits. Food fortification practices in school meal programs need guidance and legal support from various national policies. Aim: This study aims to analyze how various national policies—such as those related to school feeding, nutrition, health, food safety, agriculture, and the private sector—associate with the implementation of in-school food fortification among countries with school meals programs. (...) Methods: The Bayesian Mindsponge Framework, combining the reasoning strengths of Mindsponge Theory and inference advantages of Bayesian analysis, was employed on a dataset of 126 government representatives who manage large-scale school meal programs in 126 different countries. Results: Findings showed that food safety policy and agriculture policy were positively and significantly associated with the in-school food fortification practices, while school feeding policy and private sector policy had ambiguous relationships with these practices. Nutrition policy and health policy had a significant negative association with food fortification practices among countries implementing school meal programs. Conclusions: Findings underscore the strong position of food safety policy and agriculture policy in guiding food fortification practices in school meal programs. There is a need to re-assess the implemented nutrition policy and health policy due to their significant negative associations with these practices. Enhancing and strengthening the school feeding policy and private sector policy may increase their potencies in giving positive impacts on in-school food fortification practices. (shrink)

Over the past 45 years there has been increasing vocal opposition to religious schools, particularly in Western Europe. Only some of this opposition is related to the perception that some religious schools might be excluding the less fortunate. Much of the opposition rests on the conviction that it is no longer tenable to fund and support so many religious schools when the number of persons professing religious belief has sharply declined. This argument, buttressed by the belief that (...) Europe has undergone a profound “secularization,” maintains that religious schools are but an obsolete cultural relic to be discarded in favor of nondenominational alternatives. Relatedly, religious schools are believed to contribute to segregation and “divisiveness”: Rather than maintain a system in which persons are drawn to schools that reflect their own cultural or religious background, children ought to attend the same schools, learning from – and not only about – each other through substantive interaction. Underneath this argument lies a concern with fostering the skills and dispositions necessary for citizenship. It remains unclear, however, whether religious schools are more guilty of segregation than nonreligious schools. Nor is it clear why attending a religious school would make one less capable of cultivating the skills and dispositions necessary for citizenship than nonreligious alternatives. (shrink)

This study assessed school-community relationship and school system effectiveness in secondary schools in Cross River State. Four null hypotheses were formulated accordingly as guide to the study. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. A total of 1,480 academic staff which comprised 271 principals, and 396 vice principals selected through census technique, and 813 teachers selected using simple random sampling technique, were used to elicit data for the study. “School-Community Relationship and Secondary School System Effectiveness Questionnaire (SCRSSSEQ)” was used (...) as instrument for data collection. Collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while the null hypotheses were all tested at .05 level of significance using Pearson Product Moment Correlation with the aid of SPSS version 21. Findings from the study revealed that: parent-teachers’ relationship, school- community use of resources, school-community communication and school-community collaboration are significantly related to secondary school system effectiveness respectively, in Calabar Municipal Area of Cross River State. It was concluded that generally that school community relationship has significant relationship with school system effectiveness respectively. Based on the findings of this study, it was recommended among others that; principals should setup active parents’ teachers’ associations in their schools with leaders of the association comprising of community members and staff of the school. This will serve as a link that binds the school to the community and will create a platform for discussing and settling disputes. (shrink)

Climate change and environmental degradation are threatening the existence of humanity. The youth have the potential and capability to play a pivotal role in tackling these challenges. Therefore, the current study aims to examine how school and family environmental education can enhance environmental knowledge, willingness to take action, and pro-environmental behaviors among children and young people. The Bayesian Mindsponge Framework (BMF) analytics was utilized on a nationally representative dataset of 2069 Vietnamese primary, secondary, and high school students. The analysis results (...) suggest that school and family environmental education is beneficial for improving students’ environmental knowledge and willingness to take environmental actions. Notably, the effect of school education is more substantial for cultivating environmental knowledge, whereas family education has a stronger impact on raising students’ willingness than school education. Students with higher levels of environmental knowledge are more likely to conduct pro-environmental behaviors only when they are willing to take environmental actions. If students are unwilling to act, higher environmental knowledge is negatively associated with the likelihood of pro-environmental behavior. Following these findings, we call for coordinated education efforts of schools and families to cultivate students’ eco-surplus culture. The education efforts should be implemented along with exposing students to environmental settings and encouraging them to read environmental books. (shrink)

Throughout history, a relatively small number of individuals have made a profound and lasting impact on science and society. Despite long-standing, multi-disciplinary interests in understanding careers of elite scientists, there have been limited attempts for a quantitative, career-level analysis. Here, we leverage a comprehensive dataset we assembled, allowing us to trace the entire career histories of nearly all Nobel laureates in physics, chemistry, and physiology or medicine over the past century. We find that, although Nobel laureates were energetic producers (...) from the outset, producing works that garner unusually high impact, their careers before winning the prize follow relatively similar patterns as ordinary scientists, being characterized by hot streaks and increasing reliance on collaborations. We also uncovered notable variations along their careers, often associated with the Nobel prize, including shifting coauthorship structure in the prize-winning work, and a significant but temporary dip in the impact of work they produce after winning the Nobel. Together, these results document quantitative patterns governing the careers of scientific elites, offering an empirical basis for a deeper understanding of the hallmarks of exceptional careers in science. (shrink)

Increasing parts of the world population have rudimentary reading and writing skills but limited command of grammar, syntax and spelling. This functional illiteracy has detrimental effects on labor market participation, population health and political stability. Geographies of illiteracy also include affluent societies like the Netherlands, a country that is not only illustrative of a widespread phenomenon, but arguably also a bellwether of things to come elsewhere in the world if these developments are not reversed. This exploratory paper focuses on two (...) institutional spaces where the literacy crisis is conventionally addressed: schools and public libraries. We argue that while each has a contribution to make, neither institution is currently able to curtail the trend, partially because preferred literacy promotion methods are incongruent with rapidly evolving changes in the literacy landscape, especially regarding youth communication. We consider three possible responses to our current literacy crisis and conclude that efforts to curb functional illiteracy require a pragmatic and multi-pronged approach, and perhaps even some counterintuitive strategies. (shrink)

John White (2016) defends the UK private school system from the accusation that it allows an unfair form of ‘queue jumping’ in university admissions. He offers two responses to this accusation, one based on considerations of harm, and one based on meritocratic distribution of university places. We will argue that neither response succeeds: the queue-jumping argument remains a powerful case against the private school system in the UK. We begin by briefly outlining the queue-jumping argument (§1), before evaluating White’s no-harm (...) (§2) and meritocracy (§3) arguments. (shrink)

The School Feeding Program (SFP) is a vital initiative aimed at improving the overall well-being of students by providing nutritious meals in schools. This program has significant implications for pupils' retention and attendance, especially in developing regions like Anambra State, Nigeria. Adopting a descriptive survey design, the research aimed to explore the extent to which the SFP influences school enrolment, attendance, academic achievement, and the challenges faced in its implementation. A sample of 148 participants selected from 15 schools (...) through simple random sampling were involved in the study. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire, and the reliability was tested using the Cronbach method. The study found a positive correlation between the school feeding programme and increased school enrolment, improved pupil attendance, and enhanced academic performance. Pupils were more punctual, had better attendance, and showed improvements in both curricular and extracurricular activities. However, challenges such as inadequate funding, poor cooking facilities, insufficient classrooms, and negative parental attitudes were identified as hindrances to the programme’s effective implementation. Based on the findings, the study recommends the provision of adequate funding, the involvement of qualified personnel in planning and evaluation, and the establishment of a monitoring system to ensure the programme’s success. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on the effectiveness of school feeding programmes in promoting educational outcomes in Nigeria and highlights the need for further policy improvements to address the challenges identified. (shrink)

As the international momentum of the school effectiveness movement continues, its exponents remain largely impervious to criticism. This paper argues that while they may not readily align themselves with the individualistic aspects of Conservative social philosophy, their methodology necessarily secretes an atomised social ontology. The charge of ideological commitment rests on the fact that the essentially positivist epistemology employed by school effectiveness researchers presupposes an ontology of closed systems and atomistic events. Thus any notion of the structuring of life-chances is (...) automatically ruled out of court. The reciprocity of social ontology and methodology is explored in order to account for the myopia of the school effectiveness movement. (shrink)

The present paper is an attempt at examining the value configuration and the socio-demographical profiles of the local political elites in four countries of East-Central Europe: Romania, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, and Poland. The treatment is a comparative one, predominantly descriptive and exploratory, and employs, as a research method, the case-study, being a quite circumscribed endeavor. The cases focus on the members of the Municipal/Local Council in four towns similar in terms of demography and developmental strategies (i.e. small-to-medium sized communities (...) of around 35,000 inhabitants, with economies largely based on food industry and commercial activities): Tecuci (Galați county, Romania), Česká Lípa (Liberec region, Czech Republic), Targovishte (Targovishte province, Bulgaria), and Oleśnica (Lower Silesia province, Poland). Hypothesizing that the local elites of the former Sovietized Erurope tend to differ in outlook, priorities, and value attainment, as compared to their Western counterparts, the paper considers the former’s attitudes and perspectives in regard to seven values: a series of values customarily connected with the concept of ‘democracy’ (i.e. citizen participation, political conflict, gradual change, economic equality), state intervention in economy, decentralization and increased local autonomy, cultural-geographical self-identification. The study uses, as well, five models of value attainment in what concerns the ‘ideal portrait’ of the local councilor (Putnam 1976): ethical, pragmatic, technocratic, political, and gender. According to the results of a study applying a standard written questionnaire among the local councilors of the three communities in the period December 2010-February 2013, the paper distinguishes among three corresponding types of local elites: (1) ‘predominantly elitistic,’ (2) ‘democratic elitist,’ and (3) ‘predominantly democratic,’ following two types of explanation accounting for the differences among the four cases: the legacy of the defunct regime and the degree of administrative decentralization. (shrink)

This article is concerned not so much with school improvement issues per se as with the messages about school improvement provided by academic texts. School im­provement texts are important because they can be expected to reflect the current state of play of intellectual thinking about school improvement and because they also clearly have some impact on policy and practice, that is, to some extent they frame up school improvement issues for practitioners and policymakers. Yet academics holding socially critical perspectives have (...) sometimes been dismissive of school improvement and other education management texts because of their per­ception of a 'problem-solving' tendency which is socially and politically decon­ textualised. Thus when Jenny Ozga provided a review of education management texts in the British Journal of Sociology of Education in 1992 she didn't actually review any books because she didn't think they were worth it (Ozga, 1992). (shrink)

Descripción de cómo las élites del mundo actual han traicionado al resto de la población en un proyecto global que ya solo beneficia a ellas.

Drawing on 49 oral-history interviews with Scottish family business owner-managers, six key-informant interviews, and secondary sources, this interdisciplinary study analyses the decline of kinship-based connections and the emergence of new kinds of elite networks around the 1980s. As the socioeconomic context changed rapidly during this time, cooperation built primarily around literal family ties could not survive unaltered. Instead of finding unity through bio-legal family connections, elite networks now came to redefine their ‘family businesses’ in terms of affectively loaded (...) ‘family values’ such as loyalty, care, commitment, and even ‘love’. Consciously nurturing ‘as-if-family’ emotional and ethical connections arose as a psychologically effective way to bring together network members who did not necessarily share pre-existing connections of bio-legal kinship. The social-psychological processes involved in this extension of the ‘family’ can be understood using theories of the moral sentiments first developed in the Scottish Enlightenment. These theories suggest that, when the context is amenable, family-like emotional bonds can be extended via sympathy to those to whom one is not literally related. As a result of this ‘progress of sentiments’, one now earns his/her place in a Scottish family business, not by inheriting or marrying into it, but by performing family-like behaviours motivated by shared ethics and affects. (shrink)

The book provides a theoretical explanation of the major outcomes of Ethiopia’s social revolution, namely, the overthrow of Emperor Haile Selassie in 1974 and the implementation of a far-reaching Marxist-Leninist revolution by a military committee (the Derg) and its collapse in 1991. The book extensively discusses the question of knowing whether existing theories of revolution throw light on the eruption of a radical revolution in Ethiopia and, most of all, whether they can accommodate the major anomaly of a socialist revolution (...) being executed by a military committee that radicalized after the removal of the imperial regime. Hence the central thesis of the book: both the overthrow of the monarchical order and the radicalization of the Derg must be tied to social conditions that exasperated elite conflicts for scarce resources, with the consequence that the espousal of radical ideologies (socialism and ethnonationalism) became the sole avenue for the exclusive control of state power. Moreover, the book shows how the struggle of exclusive elites for the control of the state explains the Derg’s need to put its fate in the hands of a providential leader, to wit, Mengistu Haile Mariam. In light of the theoretical debate over the role of charismatic leaders in history, the book establishes how Mengistu’s narcissism led him to become the sole owner of the revolution and how his dictatorial rule brought about his own demise and that of the Derg, following the military defeat of the Ethiopian army in the hands of ethnonationalist insurgents. Another fundamental contribution of the book is a theoretical articulation of political conflicts and ideology that critically intervenes in the divisive issue of the primary cause of revolutions. Granted that ideology is more of a justification than a drive, the Ethiopian case illustrates how conflicts between mutually exclusive elites favor the path of political outbidding mobilizing utopian projects so as to galvanize the support of the masses. The perceived transcendence of utopia from partisan politics gives the proof that ideology is a predatory form of thinking in that it hijacks values belonging to different cognitive and affective realms for the purpose of empowering exclusionary interests. -/- . (shrink)

This study evaluated school quality indicators and teachers job performance in Cross River State. One research question and four null hypotheses were raised following factorial research design. Proportionate random sampling technique was employed in selecting a sample of 1,463 teachers representing 30 percent from a population of 4,878 teachers distributed across 271 public secondary schools in Cross River State. “School Quality Indicators Questionnaire (SQIQ) and Teachers’ Job Performance Questionnaire (TJPQ)” were the instruments used for data collection. Prepared data were (...) analyzed using descriptive statistics; while the null hypotheses were all tested at .05 alpha level using Pearson Product Moment Correlation and Multiple regression analyses as appropriate with the aid of Minitab statistical software v18. Findings revealed that, quality of school facilities, leadership, and supervision jointly accounted for 90.6 percent (Pred. R2 = .9063) of the total variance of teachers’ job performance; there is significant relationship between quality of school facilities (r = .478, p< .05), quality of leadership (r = .928, p< .05) quality of supervision (r = .881, p< .05) respectively with secondary school teachers’ job performance; quality of school facilities, leadership, and supervision have significant composite influence (F=4800.58, p<.05) on secondary school teachers’ job performance; quality of leadership was the highest predictor (t=45.38, p< .05) of teachers’ job performance, followed by quality of school supervision (t = 27.29, p <.05). Based on these findings, conclusions and recommendations were made for improvement. Keywords:. (shrink)

Background: School meal programs are not only government initiatives but also community-driven efforts. Aiming to combat food insecurity among school-aged children effectively, these programs are executed in conjunction with food bank initiatives. Various community groups play a crucial role in the success of both food security initiatives. There is a need to improve community engagement to successfully link school meal programs with food banks to build program synergy, combating food insecurity through a two-sided approach. Aim: This study aims to examine (...) community engagement in school meals program by analyzing its purposeful focus on creating jobs and income-generating opportunities for different community groups, i.e., youths, women, and others. Methods: The Bayesian Mindsponge Framework, combining the reasoning strengths of Mindsponge theory and inference advantages of Bayesian analysis, was employed on a dataset of 126 government representatives who manage large-scale school meal programs in 126 different countries. Results: Findings showed that the school meals program’s purposeful focus on creating jobs and income-generating opportunities for women in the community was positively associated with community engagement, thereby supporting the linkage between the programs and food banks. In contrast, providing jobs and income-generating opportunities for youths and other community groups had an ambiguous association with community engagement in school meal programs. Conclusions: Findings underscore the importance of creating jobs and income-generating opportunities for women to improve community engagement in school meal programs. Formulating strategies that empower woman’s entrepreneurship may foster their involvement and engagement in school meal programs, promising to successfully link these programs with food bank initiatives among implementing countries. (shrink)

This systematic literature review offers valuable perspectives on the challenges faced by educational administrators amidst COVID-19, shedding light on key themes and concerns that arose during this unprecedented period. By focusing on emerging trends in school leaders' experiences, this study not only informs future research but also provides guidance for academic and educational practices. Drawing upon an analysis of 16 articles from peerreviewed publications spanning the period from 2010 to 2021, this review provides a comprehensive overview of research themes, approaches, (...) settings, and school management systems related to the Covid-19 pandemic. Notably, most of the articles were published in the Journal of School Administration Research and Development, reflecting a significant scholarly interest in this topic. Additionally, almost half of the studies were conducted in the United States, indicating a geographical concentration of research efforts in this area. The analysis reveals that the primary focus of the literature centers around technological support and the professional development of teachers, highlighting the critical role of these factors in navigating the challenges posed by the pandemic. Moreover, the predominant use of phenomenological design and structured interviews among principals and school administrators underscores the qualitative nature of much of the research in this field. While this review offers valuable insights, it is essential to acknowledge its limitations, including potential biases in the selection of articles and the evolving nature of the Covid19 pandemic. Future research endeavors could consider longitudinal studies to track the long-term impacts of the pandemic on educational leadership and to identify strategies for resilience and adaptation in the face of ongoing challenges. This research contributes significantly to our understanding of the difficulties encountered by school leaders throughout the COVID-19 crisis and provides valuable insights that can inform future educational practices and policies. (shrink)

In this essay I question the liberal faith in the efficacy and morality of citizenship education (CE) as it has been traditionally (and is still) practiced in most public state schools. In challenging institutionalized faith in CE, I also challenge liberal understandings of what it means to be a citizen, and how the social and political world of citizens is constituted. I interrogate CE as defended in the liberal tradition, with particular attention to Gutmann’s ‘conscious social reproduction’. I argue (...) that CE in practice does not operate on the bases of non-repression or non-discrimination, and has weak claims for legitimacy. In fact, CE in many forms reproduces social inequalities, and contributes to the expulsion of disadvantaged students from schools and from the ranks of recognized citizens. (shrink)

Selection within the educational domain breeds a special kind of suspicion. Whether it is the absence of transparency in the selection procedure, the observable outcomes of the selection, or the criteria of selection itself, there is much to corroborate the suspicion many have that selection in practice is unfair. And certainly as it concerns primary and secondary education, the principle of educational equity requires that children not have their educational experiences or opportunities determined by their postcode, their ethnic status, first (...) language, or family wealth. Indeed educational opportunities determined by unearned advantage or disadvantage offend against basic notions of fairness. But are public schools even permitted to select their students, and if so, how can selection procedures used by schools be best structured to achieve equitable ends? In this article we delineate, describe, and defend what we believe are the essential features of selection and also why we need to pay equal attention to both the outcomes and the processes leading to those outcomes. Provided the selection is motivated and guided by the right reasons, as well as appropriately monitored, we argue that selection can be equity promoting. (shrink)

This study examined school characteristics and secondary school teachers’ work effectiveness in Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State. Specifically, the study examined the influence of school location, school population, and school ownership on secondary school teachers’ work effectiveness respectively. Three research questions were posed and three null hypotheses were formulated accordingly to guide the study. The design adopted for the study was a descriptive survey research design. A purposive sampling technique was used to select a sample of 156 (...) respondents out of a population of 549 teachers. A questionnaire titled “Teachers’ work effectiveness questionnaire” (TWEQ) was used as an instrument for data collection. Collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics, while the null hypotheses were all tested at .05 level of significance using the independent t-test statistical technique. The results of the analysis revealed that school characteristics such as location, population, and ownership, influenced secondary school teachers’ work effectiveness respectively. Based on these findings, it was recommended among others that; teachers should be motivated using intrinsic and extrinsic channels such as praises, rewards for outstanding performance, regular payment of salaries, promotion and other incentives such as improved working conditions, good classroom, and office environment, and so on, for improved work performance. (shrink)

There have been 417 gun violence in schools since Columbine. In these shootings, more than 383,000 students were killed. At the time of the event, most offenders of school mass shootings were targets of school bullying, experiencing a mental health crisis, and a history of depression. Effective interventions and support that could help prevent or reduce school bullying incidents require understanding the process of demoralization and empowering social change. This paper is part of an original constructivist grounded theory study (...) on democratic social change in America explored through a post hoc polytheoretical framework comprised of Foucauldian, Bourdieuan, and Marxist power. It aims to answer the question: In which areas would the democratic social change grounded theory resonate the most? Of significance was the finding of a novel framework from which to understand and assess how students unknowingly use power strategies that could lead to the demoralization of targets of bullying who lack adequate coping skills and meaningful support and an empowering social change process that could counter demoralization and lead to security. More research is needed on bully-involved demoralization and specific interventions that lead to positive and sustainable social change. (shrink)

Aim: This paper assessed the relationship of the university teachers’ work-life balance with their work commitment in Jimei University Chengyi College in creating dynamics on managing competing demands aligned with personal and professional satisfaction. -/- Methodology: A descriptive research design was used in this study. The research locale is at Jimei University Chengyi College. The purposive sampling technique was used. This study used statistical treatment wherein responses were summarized, classified, and tabulated using statistical treatment such as frequency, percentage, weighted mean, (...) standard deviation and Likert scale. -/- Results: The overall mean of 3.52 shows that the teachers strongly agree that the work-life-school balance is very highly manifested in their lives and that they are able to juggle the different responsibilities in both their personal and professional lives. Teacher’s commitment is shown to a very great extent and is indicative of their commitment being very highly manifested which shows that the teachers are very committed to their task as a teacher. Comparing the assessment of the teacher respondents on their relationship between level of work-life-school balance and work commitment, the R-value indicates a weak positive correlation between the teacher’s level of work-life-school balance and work commitment. -/- Conclusion: Teachers experience feelings of anxiety or depression if the balance between the three aspects of their lives, their work, the school, and their personal lives, is disrupted. They constantly think about many other things about their work and their personal life that ‘easily’ relaxing might not be the easiest thing to do. Teachers strongly agree that the work-life-school balance is very highly manifested in their lives and that they are able to juggle the different responsibilities in both their personal and professional lives. (shrink)

In England and Wales we have had a National Curriculum since 1988. How can it have survived so long without aims to guide it? This IMPACT pamphlet argues that curriculum planning should begin not with a boxed set of academic subjects of a familiar sort, but with wider considerations of what schools should be for. We first work out a defensible set of wider aims backed by a well-argued rationale. From these we develop sub-aims constituting an aims-based curriculum. Further (...) detail is provided here on one of the most central educational aims, to do with equipping each child to live a flourishing personal and civic life. [A later, more detailed account of an aims-based curriculum is available in Reiss, M and White J <An Aims-based Curriculum: the significance of human flourishing for schools> Institute of Education Press 2013]. (shrink)

This is a collection of new investigations and discoveries on the history of a great tradition, the Lvov-Warsaw School of logic , philosophy and mathematics, by the best specialists from all over the world. The papers range from historical considerations to new philosophical, logical and mathematical developments of this impressive School, including applications to Computer Science, Mathematics, Metalogic, Scientific and Analytic Philosophy, Theory of Models and Linguistics.

It has been argued that competitive elite sport both (i) reduces the humanity of athletes by turning them into beings whose sole value is determined in relation to others, and (ii) is motivated by a celebration of the genetically superior and humiliation of the weak. This paper argues that while (i) is a morally reproachable attitude to competition, it is not what competitive elite sport revolves around, and that (ii) simply is not the essence of competitive elite (...) sport. Competitive elite sport is an exploration of the physical and mental demands of sport. Finally, the paper explores a number of consequences of the different views of sport with respect to the problem of intersexual women. (shrink)

The study investigated school characteristics and enrolment trend in upper basic schools in Akwa Ibom State Nigeria from 2008-2016. Two research questions were answered while two null hypotheses were also tested. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. Census technique was adopted in selecting all the 227 public upper basic schools in the area of study. An instrument tagged “School Characteristics and Enrolment in Upper Basic Schools Checklist (SCEUBSC)” was used for data collection. Descriptive statistics (percentages) (...) was used to summarize data relating to the research questions, bar chart was used for illustrations of the enrolment pattern while independent t-test was used to test the two null hypotheses at .05 alpha level. Findings revealed that enrolment in upper basic schools in Akwa Ibom State was high in single-sex schools and boarding schools, while it was low in mixed-sex schools and day schools. Based on the findings, it was concluded that there was an upward trend in enrolment in all the schools from 2008- 2013 and a downward trend from 2015-2016. It was recommended among others that research allocation in terms of personnel and infrastructures should be evenly distributed across the state as these will reduce rural-urban migration. Keywords:. (shrink)

This study examined school administrators’ counselling and conceptual skills for effective secondary school administration in Rivers State. Two (2) research questions and 2 hypotheses were answered and tested in the study, respectively. The population of the study was the 245 public secondary schools in Rivers State, with a teacher population of 8196, from which 414 (equivalent of 5% from the population) were selected as the sample, using the stratified random sampling technique. The instrument for data collection was a validated (...) 11-item instrument titled ‘School Administrators’ Counselling and Conceptual Skills for Effective Secondary School Administration Scale’ (SACCSESSAS), with a reliability index of 0.87, designed by the researchers in the modified 4-point Likert scale model. Mean scores and standard deviations were used in answering the research questions while z.test statistics were performed and used in testing the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study show that school administrators’ counselling skills enhance effective secondary school administration through presenting opportunities for active listening to building rapport and empathy and that administrators conceptual skills enhance school effectiveness through presenting opportunities for school members to think creatively to understanding issues and solving problems. The study also found non-significant differences between the mean ratings of teachers with teaching and non-teaching qualifications on the ways school administrators’ counselling and conceptual skills enhance effective secondary school administration, respectively. It was therefore concluded that school administrators’ counselling and conceptual skills are indispensable in running effective school administration and that as ways forward adequate counselling skills should be employed by school administrators while also making sure that conceptual skills should be in regular use to achieve school effectiveness. (shrink)

Parental environmental education in early childhood is vital for nurturing environmental awareness and ecological protection. This study investigates how parents’ nature engagement methods influence children’s environmental awareness and participation in protection activities. Using the Bayesian Mindsponge Framework with data from 516 children and their primary caregivers across 23 elementary summer schools in five urban Chinese cities, the findings reveal varying impacts of parental engagement methods. Raising animals and plants is positively associated with environmental awareness (moderate reliability) and protection activities (...) (high reliability). Visiting museums about endangered and extinct species enhances children’s environmental awareness, while learning about insects and their habits improves their participation in protection activities (both high reliability). However, outdoor learning experiences and playing in natural environments (e.g., parks and forests) show ambiguous effects. These results underscore the value of family-centered environmental education, emphasizing the crucial roles of direct nature interactions and providing actionable insights for child-focused environmental policies. (shrink)